אֶלְיָקִים
Eljakim, the name of four Israelites
Definition
אֶלְיָקִים (Elyaqim) is a proper name meaning 'God will establish' or 'God of raising.' It is borne by four distinct individuals in the Old Testament. The most prominent is Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the royal steward or palace administrator under King Hezekiah, who features prominently in the narratives of the Assyrian crisis (2 Kings 18:18, 2 Kings 19:2, Isaiah 22:20). Another significant figure is Eliakim, the son of King Josiah, whose name was changed to Jehoiakim by Pharaoh Neco when he was made king (2 Kings 23:34, 2 Chronicles 36:4). The name also appears for a priest in Nehemiah 12:41 and for an ancestor of Jesus in the genealogy of Matthew 1:13.
Biblical Usage
The name is used exclusively as a personal name for male Israelites. It appears in historical narratives, primarily in 2 Kings, Isaiah, and 2 Chronicles, concerning royal officials and kings during the late monarchy period. Its usage clusters around key historical moments: the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem (2 Kings 18-19) and the transition of power following King Josiah's death (2 Kings 23:34). The final occurrence is in a list of priests and Levites from the post-exilic period (Nehemiah 12:41).
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew elements: אֵל (ʼēl, H410), meaning 'God,' and קוּם (qûm, H6965), a verb meaning 'to arise, stand, or establish.' Thus, the name is a theophoric (God-containing) name that conveys the meaning 'God establishes' or 'May God raise up.' It reflects a common naming convention expressing trust in God's sovereign action.
Semantic Range
The name אֶלְיָקִים embodies a theological declaration of God's sovereignty in establishing human authority. For the royal steward in Isaiah 22:20-24, God's promise to 'place the key of the house of David on his shoulder' connects the name's meaning ('God establishes') to God's control over Jerusalem's leadership, ultimately pointing to the messianic authority of Christ (Revelation 3:7). The renaming of Eliakim to Jehoiakim by a foreign Pharaoh (2 Kings 23:34) presents a stark contrast between God's establishing power and human political imposition.
As a theophoric name, it was a common practice in ancient Israel to embed God's name (El) into personal names as an expression of faith and identity. The name's meaning, 'God establishes,' would have been a hopeful declaration for the child's future and a reminder of divine support. The role of the royal steward (Eliakim son of Hilkiah) was one of immense responsibility, managing the king's household and acting as a chief officer, which gives concrete expression to the name's meaning of being 'established' in authority.
יְהוֹיָקִים (Yehoyaqim, H3079) — A variant theophoric name using Yahweh (יהוה) instead of El (אֵל), borne by the same king (2 Kings 23:34).
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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